Last month, the company TREC and TALCB contracts with to collect and shred documents mistakenly collected mail delivered to the agency.  This mail was then delivered to the company’s secure shredding facility.  The staff recovered the majority of the mail, however, approximately 70 pieces of mail were likely destroyed.  Because COVID related issues have impacted regular mail delivery schedules, it took time to process the mail and understand the consequences.  

If you have not sent anything to the agency by mail, no action is necessary. If you mailed something to the agency between July 9 and July 20, here is what you can do:  

• If you mailed an application or form with a fee (personal check, money order, or cashiers check), contact your banking institution to determine whether or not your check has been cashed.   

• Initial Applicants who applied by mail can check the application status tracker on the TREC or TALCB websites to determine the status of your application.  

• License holders who applied for license renewal by mail may check the license holder search tool on the TREC or TALCB websites for information on the status of your renewal application. 

•  If you have copies of anything you know you sent to the agency, please retain those copies as they may be requested of you later.  

If these steps did not provide you answer as to whether mail you sent to the agency was received, please reach out to us via email. The staff will help determine if we have received what you sent. 

Do I need to be concerned about my personal data?   

No. Any sensitive information contained in mail collected as a result of this mistake was never compromised. The company that collected the mail in error shredded it immediately. TREC and TALCB have entrusted this company for this purpose because of its reputation with multiple state agencies and it’s AAA certification by the National Association for Information Destruction.  Their procedures and storage facilities are designed to ensure that the confidentiality of any documents collected by the company is maintained and protected throughout the process. 

The agency is committed to doing what is necessary to minimize any negative impact on license holders and other agency stakeholders.  In light of this incident, TREC and TALCB have already amended the mail delivery procedure to ensure this can not happen again.  Any documents or payments that have to be resubmitted as a result of the issue will be processed on an expedited basis, and any late fees incurred as a result will be eliminated.  TREC and TALCB understand that this is an unwanted disruption and apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.